Friday, March 23, 2018

Next Week in Tickets: Films playing Boston 23 March 2018 - 27 March 2018

Apparently, movies opening the Wednesday before Easter is a thing this year, so it's kind of a short week for new releases - but a big weekend for festivals!

First up - The Boston Underground Film Festival , mostly at The Brattle Theatre Friday through Sunday, although there is also some matinee programming at the Harvard Film Archive Saturday and Sunday afternoon. One of those is Spoor, one of the best things I saw at Fantasia last summer, so I can at least gnash my teeth about making choices a little less. Other notable entries include the Homegrown Horror on Friday afternoon, Let the Corpses Tan from the Amer team of Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani Friday night, Saturday Morning Cartoons with all-you-can-eat cereal, buzzy horror film The Ranger with director Jenn Wexler on hand Saturday night, a secret screening at midnight Saturday, and Tigers Are Not Afraid Sunday evening.
Once the festival is over,

The Brattle Theatre has a few days of filling in until the next one starts, with DocYard selection Railway Sleepers on Monday (featuring a post-screening Skype chat with director Sompot Chidgasornpongse), and then Tuesday is Trash Night, with Patrick Swayze mess Steel Dawn. On Wednesday, they welcome director Jennifer Brea and a few other guests for a screening of Brea's documentary on her own sleep disorder, Unrest

Irish Film Festival Boston uses a screen or two at The Somerville Theatre all weekend, with Director's Choice Maze on Friday and then two screens' worth on Saturday and Sunday, with Saturday matinees of animated features Song of the Sea and The Breadwinner, Global Vision Documentary The Farthest, two programs of shorts, and much more. The theater also picks up a couple screens of The Death of Stalin, which also expands West Newton, The Lexington Venue, and Fenway after having opened at the Coolidge, Kendall, and Boston Common last weekend.

The threat of snow postponed the ReelAbilities Film Festival Boston opening night, but they'll be hopping around the area all week, most with free admission but registration suggested. Films include It's Not Yet Dark at the Somerville and Sanctuary at the Museum of Science, both Sunday afternoon; Keep the Change at the JCC's Reimer-Goldstein Theater in Newton on Monday, Stumped at the Cambridge Public Library on Tuesday; a choice of Thank You for Your Service at the Revere Showcase, Swim Team at Lexington's Cotting School, and the RealLove shorts program at the Coolidge on Wednesday, and closing-night film Off the Rails at the Brattle on Thursday.

So, you've maybe got some things getting in the way of hitting the multiplexes, even though a couple of 3D sequels are opening. The first, Pacific Rim: Uprising, is a "next generation" entry without Guillermo del Toro's direct involvement or much of the cast of the first, but it's still got giant robots fighting giant monsters, which may just be your thing. It's playing at the Capitol (2D only), Fresh Pond (2D only), Jordan's Furniture (Imax 2D/3D), the Embassy, Boston Common (including Imax 3D), Fenway (including 2D/3D PRX), the Seaport (including Imax 2D/3D), South Bay (including Icon-X), Assembly Row (including Imax 2D/3D), Revere (including MX4D & XPlus), and the SuperLux. The other sequel is Sherlock Gnomes, which follows up Gnomeo & Juliet, and, you know, the preview almost had me until I saw Johnny Depp was voicing the title character, and hard pass. But, hey, maybe the kids will dig it at the Capitol (2D only), Fresh Pond (2D only) Boston Common, Fenway (2D only), South Bay, Assembly Row, and Revere.

There's also Midnight Sun, featuring Bella Thorne as a teenager with a skin condition that keeps her inside during daylight and Patrick Schwarzenegger as the boy she falls for; that's at Fresh Pond, Boston Common, Fenway, South Bay, Assembly Row, and Revere. Some theaters also get a jump on Easter with Paul, Apostle of Christ, including the Seaport, South Bay, Assembly Row, and Revere.

The last major opening is the latest from Steven Soderbergh, who has come out of retirement more or less on his own terms, shooting Unsane with a smartphone and therefore being able to get right in there to present Claire Foy as a woman involuntarily committed to an asylum, although the freaky things happening there may just be part of her delusions. It's at Kendall Square, the Embassy, Boston Common, South Bay, and Revere.

Fenway and Revere have screenings of animated feature Ice Dragon: Legend of the Blue Daisies Saturday afternoon (Fenway only) and Monday evening; they also kick off this year's Ghibli screenings by marking the 10th anniversary of Ponyo on Sunday (dubbed), Monday (subtitled), and Wednesday (dubbed)

In addition to Unsane, Kendall Square has Flower, starring Zoey Deutch as a teenager looking to expose a teacher's secret, and Itzhak, an entertaining-looking documentary about Itzhak Perlman, who seems to be a really likable guy on top of an extraordinary violinist.

Apple Fresh Pond opens Hichki, a Hindi-language movie about a teacher with Tourette's syndrome (if I remember the trailer correctly), as well as Rajaratha (in both Kannada and Telugu). They've also got English-language horror film Followers, though mostly for late-night shows.

The Coolidge Corner Theatre mostly keeps the same line-up for the weekend (though with a special preview screening of Isle of Dogs on Saturday night to give an idea of how it will be upended mid-week). They do put on some screenings of Leaning Into the Wind: Andy Goldsworthy in the GoldScreen.

Midnight features include Demon House on both Friday and Saturday, with paranormal investigator Zak Bagans documenting his visit to a particularly notorious haunted house; there's also a 35mm print of German cult classic Der Fan on Friday and one of Misery on Saturday (sort of a theme, eh?). They also have a special National Evening of Science on Screen showing of Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, with MIT professor Muriel Médard introducing the film by talking about the actress's work in science and invention.

The Harvard Film Archive starts two new series this weekend. The first celebrates Wim Wenders, who will be in town to deliver a pair of lectures next week, but they will be priming the pump with Alice in the Cities (Friday), "3 American LPs" (free on Friday), The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (Friday), Wrong Move (Sunday), and Kings of the Road. They will also be showing the recent films of Hong Sang-soo, including The Day After (Saturday), Nobody's Daughter Haewon (Saturday), and Right Now, Wrong Then (Sunday).

The Museum of Fine Arts is spending the weekend on the 17th Annual Boston Turkish Film Festival, with this weekend's selections including Gone with the Hazelnuts (Friday, with director Ercan Kesal in person), Rosso Istanbul (Saturday), Big Big World (Saturday), The Guest (Sunday), and Ayla: The Daughter of War (Sunday). Kind of a bummer that clashes with the Turkish film at BUFF Sunday afternoon, but oh well.